Motion picture apparatus



Feb. 25, 1936. F. CONRAD Err Al.` 2,032,116

MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS l Filed May 14, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l TTORNEY Feb. 25, 1936.l F. CONRAD Er AL MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Filed May 14, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb 25,. 1936- F. CONRAD ET AL 032mg l MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Filed May 14, 1930 5 Shees-Sheet 5 ATORNEY Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES `T-iiiTENT ori-ICE MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS 'Application May 14, 1930, serial No. 452,252

s claims. (ci. ca -24) Our invention relates to acousto-cinematographic apparatus and has particular relation to domestic equipment.

In apparatus of this type, constructed according to the teachings of the prior art with which we are familiar, the screen and loud-speaker constitute a separate unit from the projector and its appurtenances. This arrangement of the equipment has the serious disadvantage that it necessitates the use of lead wires that extend from the machine on one side oi' the audience to the loud-speaker on the other side of the audience. The state of affairs thus occasioned by the two-unit system is not only undesirable from an aesthetic view point but, in a room darkened for motion-picture projection, it materially increases the possibility of a mishap.

The provision of equipment avoiding this dlfli culty not only involves the construction of a suitable cabinet but also involves the construction of a machine that may be satisfactorily accommodated in a normally small cabinet.

It is, accordingly, an object of our invention to provide acousto-cinematographic equipment completely contained in a single unit.

It is ancillary object of our invention to provide acousto-cinematographic apparatusv which, while constituting a ,complete single unit, may be used in a two-unit system.

An additional ancillary object of our invention is to provide an acousto-cinematographic machine of small and compact structure that shall be smooth and silent in its operation.

Still another object of our invention is to piovide means for increasing the throw of a light beam from the projection lens of a cinematographic machine without materially increasing the distance from the lens to a screen associated with said machine.

A further object of our invention is to provide, for a cinematographic machine, a simple auto matic threading device that shall be inexpensive to manufacture.

More specifically stated, it is an ohiect of o v invention to provide simply operable acousto= cinematographic equipment wherein the maa chine is disposed in a collapsible cabinet equipped with a removable translucent screen and with a plurality of reflectors that coact to decrease the ratio of the geometric distance between screen and projection objective to the optical distance between screen and objective.

According to our invention, we provide for acousto-cinematographic apparatus a cabinet cessively from one mirror to the other before it' impinges on the screen. By thus bending the light beam, the optical throw is materially increased, and the dimensions of the cabinet remain unchanged.

We further provide a machine with a sim.

automatic threading device and with, an

mittent movement that operates smoothly and has a high ratio of film-:rest to nlm-moving time.

'I'he novel features that We consider charactery istic of our invention are set forth with particiifa larity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organisation and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereoi, will thus best he understood from the following description of a specic embodiment, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a view, in perspective, of acc-11steu cinematographic equipment constructed accord ing to our invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the mirror ar rangement in the equipment;

Fig. 3 is a view, in perspective, of the bracket whereon the screen is mounted; A

Fig. 4 is a view, in perspective, showingl t acousto-cinematographic machine that is used with the equipment;

Fig. 5 is a view, in iront elevation, showing the automatic threading arrangement and the the power-transmission elements of the machine,

and

F18. '12 is a view, in section, taken along the line m--m of Fig. l1, and showing the knob whereby the power-transmissionelements may be manually operated.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a cabinet i equipped with an upper charnber in which are mounted an acousto-cinematographic machine 5 and an ampliiier (not shown), and with a lower chamber l, in which a loud-speaker (not shown), electrically coupledto the amplifier, is supported.

The cabinet i is provided with an opening d in the side facing the picture-projection objective M, and an enclosure i3 open at the top i5 and at the bottom il, projects from the opening "i5 Q. IThe enclosure i8 is slidably supported within the upper chamber 3, and, when it occupies its innermost position, it forms a compartment within which the machine 5 is'contained. The end wall l@ of the enclosure i3, in this position, closes the opening d in the cabinet and constitutes a section of the 4end wall 2l of the cabinet.`

In addition to the ampliner and the machine E, a plurality of reectors 23 and 25 are mounted in the upper stationary chamber 3. The smallest mirror 23 reects the light from the projection objective il to the larger mirror 2d, which, in turn, reiiects it to a still larger mirror 2 mounted Y on the walls l@ and 29 of the movable enclosure i3. The latter reflects the light to a translucent screen Si that forms the front-wall of the movable enclosure i3 and is slidably removable therefrom.

By thus bending the projection light beam, a picture oi nomi size may, be obtained in a cabinet that is only slightly larger than a radio cabinot. It is to be noted that, with the present prevalence of emciency apartments, the dimensions oi an entertainment device of the nature herein discussed are a serious consideration.

lt may, at times, be desirable to project a picture larger than the one that is available in the cabinet. We have, therefore, provided an opening 233, in the end wall i9 of the novable enclosure i3, that is normally closed by an internally hinged door 355, constituting s section of the wall it. When it is desirable to project a large picture, the mt mirror 23 is removed or turned vto an inactive position and the door 35 is opened. The light'rom the projection lens it is projected through the opening 33 and may he focused on a reection screen disposed at any convenient distance from the cabinet.

The machine d comprises an upright bracket il?, cast in the form of a comparatively deep box,l

on the base of which are externally supported a plurality of lm guides and hlm-advancing elements and within which are mounted a plurality M. power-transmission elements. The upright plate is fastened to a shallow base plate S9 by bolts di waversing a lowerside t3 of the box 8l! and screwed into a plurality of bosses d5 in the base 3Q. The conducting rleads that bring up the necessary electrical power to the energy consuming elements of the machine are fastened within the base.

A reed reel il and a take-up reel d@ are keyed to spindles @il and 58 rotatably supported on brackets EES and di fastened to bosses @il and @i projecting from the upright box 3l.

The end of a nlm-roll t8 woundon the feed reel di is, thrust into a channel formed between two guides titi and El where it passes over a roller El@ and. presents its perforations to'the teeth ii of a sprocket wheel it.' il@ dre-1.03 the hlm Sti and projects'it through a tion, under the action ofgravity.

The sprocket wheel; It is interesting to note that the inner guides alle passage between a long inner guide l and a short outer guide Ti that is curved upward at the end.

As the lrn te is propelled through the mouth of the passage, it bends under its own weight and advances into a pocket formed between a continuation of the inner guide i9 and a long guide di, that is also curved upward at the end. The two sections ll and tl of the outer guide are separated and airee loop-reservoir 83 is thus formed between them above the inner guide l5.

Still reacting to the thrust of the sprocket wheel i3, the iilrn t3 advances in the space provided between the aperture plate 85 and the shoes di of a picture gate 39. It is then grasped by a plurality of intermittently actuated claws 9i and thrust against the inner surface oi the lower loop forming guide 93 that is movable relative to an inner stationary guide S5, as will be hereinafter described.

The illm 63 is constrained by the guide 93 "to reverse its motion and it isadvanced upward from the end thereof into the opening provided between the shoes Sl and the aperture plate 99 of a sound gate iti.

It is to be noted that, in a loop-reservoir formed oi two vertical legs moving in substantially opposite directions, and a central horizontal portion, the impulses introduced by the intermittent claws are not transmitted into the vertical leg most remote from the claws. This feature is of considerable value in the present machine, since it eliminates the necessity of an,

insulating sprocket wheel between the intermittont claws and the picture gate.

After traversing the sound gate ida', the film E53 advances between an inner guide m3 and the flanges H o f.a power-driven roller itl, and its perforations are thrust into the path of the unoccupied teeth lll of the original feed sprocket wheel ld. Its end is grasped by the sprocket wheel and projected over a second idler itt, situated above the sprocket wheel, through a channel provided between two guides lll and M3. The machine is then stopped while the end ofthe 'lm is fastened to the take-up reel d.

As has been explained hereinabove, the upper loop 83 is automatically formed. The lower loop, on the other hand, requires a manual operation for its formation The lower loop-forming guide 93 is supported on a tongue lib that is bentl over from the lower end of an elongated flat plate ill. The plate lili is equipped with a plurality of'slots H9 and is supported on a plurality of studs i2i that traverse the slots vlill and 'areiastened to the upright casting 3l of the machine.

A strip i23, fastened to the plate lll above its center, supporta. on its end, a double-end spring H25 that extends into a plurality-of slots H27 milled in the outer margin of the guides 99 and i29'of the sound gate IUI. The ends I3!) of the spring coact with notches iti in the upper edges of the slots i2? to lock the plate ilthat supports'the loop former 93 in its uppermost position.V The notches i3! and the ends of the spring 25, that coact therewith, are so related to each other that, by the exertion of a small vertical force on the plate' Hl, supporting the loop-forming guide 93, the ends ISB of the spring are removed from the notches iii and the loopforming guideA @t settles to its lowermost posii9, 85, its and itt may m made in one piece accents v si:

by bending a single metallic strip substantially into a U-shaped configuration.

The shoes 81 and 91, in both the picture gate 89 and the sound gate |91 are compressed against the film by a plurality of buttons 133, bent into the ends of a plurality of fingers of fork-l shaped flat springs |31. The springs i31 are Banged at their lower ends and are bent over to form flanged tongues |39, whereby they are fastened to the inner guides 95 and |29 adjacent to the gates.

Centrally disposed on the plate ||1 that supports the lower loop former 91, is a bar I 4| of longitudinal channel section. The flanges |43 of the bar I4| are drilled and tapped to accommodate the threads of a plurality of thumb screws |45 that may be held rigidly in any predetermined positon in the flanges |43 by a plurality of lock-nuts |41.

When the loop-forming guide 93 is in its lowermost position, the ends of the screws |45, projecting through the flanges |43, coact with the lower surface of the forked spring |31 and cause the buttons |33 to exert a pressure on the film 83 in the gates. When the loop-forming guide 93 is in its uppermost position, the screws |45 are. not in contact with the springs i311, and the channels in the picture gate 89 and the sound gate` |0|, being no longer obstructed by the shoes 31, permit the passage of the leading end of the film that is being threaded into the machine.

The -intermittent movement comprises a plu rality of horizontal shafts |49 and |51 the axes of which substantially determine a vertical plane. The shafts |49 and IBI are rotatably supported in bosses (not shown) projecting from the right casting 31 and the end of the upper shaft H49, which rotates at twice the angular velocity' of the lower shaft, is borne up by a bracket |53 fastened to a boss |55 projecting inwardly from the surface of the casting l1.

A counter-balanced crank |51 is mounted on the end of the upper shaft |49 that projects through the casting 31 and is rotatable therewith, while a shutter |59 and a cam lil are similarly supported on the lower shaft |5|.

Pivotally supported on a pin |83 projecting :trom the crank |51, is a short arm |65, and rigidly fastened to the arm |85 is a long lever |61. A plurality of claws 9| project substantially at right angles from one lower surface of the lever |61, while a yoke |69, -fastened to the remaining lower surface of the lever,engages the cam |6| supported on the lower shaft.

The claws 9| are moved in a vertical direction by the action o f the crank |51 and in a horizontal direction by the coaction of the cam 16| and the yoke |69. It is seen that, by reason of the rapid reciprocation of the crank |51, the iilin 63 is moved during a rather small fraction oi the total interval occupied by the projection of a single frame. In this connection, it should be noted that it is within the scope of our invenu tion to provide for the rotation of the crank at a greater angular speed than twice the speed of the cam if such a procedure is found to be desirable.

Furthermore, we may add that the counr balanced crank |51 tends to equalize the load that is sustained by the prime mover and, consequently,

- tends to eliminate vibrations of the system that are ordinarily introduced by irregularities in the :motion thereof. f

The main shaft |1| is obliquely mounted in bosses |13 cast integral with the upright bracket through a lens 223 mounted in the uprigh |81, properly dimensioned for the purpose.

Milled integral with the shaft, at its upper end, is a worm |89 that coacts with a gear wheel HH to drive a horizontal shaft |93 on one end of 10 which the sprocket wheel 13 is mounted. On the remaining end of the shaft, a large gear wheel |95 is supported to coact with a small gear wheel |91, adjacent toit, to drive the shaft |99 on which the power-driven roller |01 is mounted. The 1;, pulleys 20| and 202, through which the take-up reel 41 and the rewind are driven, is mounted on the remaining end of the shaft |99.

'Ihe main shaft |1| may be manually rotated by a knob 203 of longitudinal C section. The knob go 203 is fastened to a stud 205, traversing the upright casting 31, from the lower end of which a key 201, adapted to engage a slot 209 in the upper end of the main shaft llt, projects. compression spring 21| engages the internal :2.2 of thecavity 2|3 in the knob, and the sur'i'aee oi the casting 31 normally holds the stud out engagement with the shaft |15. On the other hand, the stud is prevented from being entirely ejected from the casting by the end of a set screw so 2|5 that engages a shoulder 2|1 produced by an attenuation 2|9 in the stud 265.

The fil-.m in the picture and sound apertur s illuminated from asingle source i. i Eire from the filament of the source is p 31, and is deflected to the picture aperture y s. spherical reflector 225. The refiector and the lens 223 form an efficient condensing system.

-To illuminate the sound aperture, light from i, the illam-ent is gathered by a spherical mirror 221 and reflected', through a lens in the plate 31, to a second spherical mirror 229 that brings it to a focus near the aperture. The two curved reflectors 221 and 229, together with lens 228, in this case, also form an eicient condensing syst-ein.

The sound track illuminated in the aperture is magnified by an objective 23| and imaged a slit 233 behind which a photocell (not shown) is situated. fr

It should be noted that the ordinary home. where the apparatus is chieiiy in use, is equipped with 60 cycle alternating current. L't is, therefore, essential that the lamp 22| used 'for illuminating the picture and for transmitting the sound 5,3 should have a filament of rather lng beat capacity. We have found a ten volt twenty ampere lamp particularly applicable in this nection.

Although we have shown and desc tain specific embodiments of our inv on, are fully aware that many modications i s are possible. Our invention', there, be restricted except insofar as is n c the prior art and by the spirit of t claims.

' We claim as our invention:

l. Cinematographic appara-tus compr* cabinet structure having a chamber mechanism, including means for advancing t film strip having a picture record photographed there-- on and means for projecting an image of said picture record, disposed in said chamber in sucio manner as to substantially fill the available space in said'chamber and in a I osition such that said is d image isprojected in a horizontal direction, said chamber havimrl an opening in a vertical wall it is in the shifted position.

2. Cinematographic apparatus comprising a cabinet structure having a chamber therein, a

mechanism, including means for Aadvancing `a ilm strip having a picture record photographed thereon and means for. projecting an imageof said picture record, in said ychamber in a position. such that said image .isprojected in a horimntal direction, Said chamber having an opening in a vertical .wall"thereof, aframework having` a translucent screen asia vertical wall thereof vnormallydisposedl wholly' vWithin said above-mentioned'chamberl adjacent to said mech-- anism, rmeansV for shifting said framework'horizontally through saidopening to fa position such that said screen is entirelyoutside of said chamher, and means, including` a plurality of redectors so disposed, with relation to each other and to said screen theta radiant beam renected from me oi them-l impinges on a successive one and the radiant beamv reflected fromthe last one of them impinges on said screen, for projecting said image onto said screen when it is in the shifted position.

3. Cinematographlc apparatus comprisingl a cabinet structure having a. chamber therein, a mechanim, including means for advancing a nlm strip having a picture record photographed thereon and means for projecting an image oi said picture record, disposed in said chamber in a, position such that said image is projected in e horizontal direction., said chamber having an opening in a vertical wall thereof, a frameworh having a translucent mreen asv a vertical wall thereof normally disposed wholly withinl said above-mentioned chamber adjacent to said mechanism, means for shifting said framework horizontally through said opening to a position such that said screen is entirely outside of said the shifted position.

d. chromatographic apparatus comprising a cabinet structure having a chamber therein, a mechanism, including means for advancing a lm strip having a picture record photographed thereon and means foi-.projecting an image of said picture record, disposed in said chamber in a position such that said image is projected in a horizontal direction, said chamber having an opening in e vertical wall thereof, a. framework having a translucent screen as a 'vertical wall thereof normally disposed wholly within said above-mentioned chamber adjacent to said mechanism, means for shifting said framework horizontally through said opening to a position such that said screen is entirely outside of said chsmbe a renector disposed adjacent to said mechanism for reflecting said projected image in a horizontal direction substantially, perpendicular kto the plane of said screen, a second revhector for reflecting said projected image in a horizontal direction substantially parallel Ito the plane of said screen, anda third reflector reilecting said projected Aimage onto said screen, 5. Cinematographic apparatus comprising a for I cabinet 'structure having a chamber therein, of

mechanism, including means for advancing a lm strip having a picture record photographed thereon .and means for'projecting an image of said picture record, disposed in said chamber in a position such that said 'image is projected in a horizontal direction, said chamber having an opening in a vertical wall thereof, a framework having a translucent screen as a vertical wall thereof normally disposed wholly within said above-mentioned chamber adjacent to said mechanism, means for shifting said framework horizontally through said opening to a position such that said screen is entirely outside of said chamber, a reflector disposed adjacent to said mechanism and in the chamber wherein said mechacabinet structure having a chamber therein, a.

mechanism, including means for advancing a film strip having a picture record photographed thereon and means for projecting an image of said picture record, disposed in said chamber in a posltionsuch that said image is projected in o horizontal direction, said chamber having an opening in a vertical wall thereof, a framework having a translucent screen as a vertical wall thereof normally disposed wholly within said abovementioned chamber adjacent to said mechanism, means for shifting said framework horizontally through said opening to a position such that said screen ls entirely outside of said chamber, a reiiector disposed adjacent to said mechanism for reecting said projected image in a horizontal,

direction perpendicular to said'screen, a second reflector for reecting said projected image in a horizontal direction parallel to the plane of said screen, and a third reector disposed adjacent to said screen and movable therewith for reflecting said projected image onto said screen.

7. Cinematographic apparatus comprising a cabinet structure having a chamber therein, a mechanism, including means for advancing a nlm strip having a picture record photographed thereon and means for projecting an image of said picture record, disposed in said chamber in a position such that said image is projected in a horizontal directiomsaid chamber having an opening in a vertical wall thereof, a framework having a solid vertical wall and e. translucent screen'asa vertical wall perpendicular to said solid wall normally 1 so disposed in said abovementioned chamber adjacent to said mechanism comprising a Y of said chamber and the image is projected intov the region of the chamber beyond said mechanism in a direction substantially parallel to the -length of said mechanism, means for reiiecting the radiations from said projecting means in a direction s lbstantially perpendicular to the long-k est dimension o! said mechanism along the width oi' said chamber, reflecting means disposed in therear'otsaidchaxnbertorredecting idra-v` diations in a direction substantially parallel to the longest dimension o! said mechanism and out of said chamber and means including a tramework, normally disposed wholly within said chamber, to be shifted out of said chamber when a moving picture is to be projected in such manner that the radiations reflected out of said chamber are reiiected along the length thereof. meam in said framework for reflecting said radiationsv in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longest dimension oi said mechanism towards the iront wall of said framework and a screen in the front wall ot said ,framework whereon an image is reproduced. 

